It is rare that a film comes along that accurately reflects the scale and scope of geopolitical conflict of the modern era. It is even more rare that the consequences of these conflicts unfold alongside the film’s release and distribution around the world. And yet, Jafar Panahi’s latest film, “It Was Just an Accident” accomplishes this feat by delivering a singular story about the danger of dissent under the modern Iranian regime.
The film screened at the Violet Crown theater Saturday afternoon as a part of the 38th annual Virginia Film Festival. It was listed as a part of the festival’s “Middle Eastern & South Asian Cinema” series as well as the “International Oscar Contenders” series, representing France’s official selection for the Academy Awards.
“Accident” brings a taste of global cinema to Charlottesville after it made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it won the Palme d’Or. By winning the festival’s top prize, the Cannes jury sent a message to the Iranian government and to the world about the importance of free creative expression through film. Second-year College student Walif Khan spoke about the importance of a film like “Accident” being recognized by the global film community through this award.
“I thought it was such an acknowledgement of the director,” Khan said. “It was produced illegally, France distributed it and it’s the submission for the French entry for the [Academy Awards]. So I thought it’s an acknowledgement of the barriers to art, and I thought it was very special.”
Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker known for his provocatively pensive pieces, often leading to his films being banned in his home country. Panahi had to shoot “Accident” completely in secret due to its content being critical of the Iranian government. In doing so, he created a film that is an incredibly timely reflection on the state of Iran today, as well as a timeless piece of advocacy for political protestors that echoes throughout history. “Accident” was not considered for Iran’s choice at the Academy Awards as a result of Panahi’s open dissent of the Iranian government and represents France through its Parisian co-producing company and distributor.
The plot centers around an Azerbaijani man named Vahid who kidnaps someone he suspects to be his former captor, a man known as Eghbal. Years prior, Eghbal had captured and tortured Vahid and countless others in an Iranian prison for protesting on behalf of workers’ rights. Vahid enlists the help of others formerly imprisoned and tortured by Eghbal to identify and ultimately determine their prisoner’s fate — whether to kill or release the man who catalyzed their trauma. In a pitch-black comedic turn of events, the band of characters grapple with their own morals and values as they hold the man captive.
As the protagonists get closer to revealing the true identity of their captive and the film’s narrative begins to unravel, so too do Vahid and his co-conspirators’ original motivations. While Vahid and the other former prisoners begin as morally-grounded characters grappling with the trauma of their past, they slowly see their ethical grounding fade away as they become more aligned with the ghosts of their past. With an explicitly political message about the importance of dissent and the evil of state-sponsored suppression, Panahi’s narrative unfolds slowly as the characters become blinded by revenge.
“Accident” deals with themes of corruption in a subversive, thoughtful manner. On the one hand, the commercial corruption of everyday life becomes more and more prevalent throughout the film, infecting the bureaucracy and basic function of the characters' actions. A recurring bit throughout the movie is the use of credit card terminals to siphon tips for menial tasks that do not traditionally require them, ranging from security guards performing a routine check to a nurse delivering a baby in a hospital.
And on the other hand, a much more sinister form of corruption underscores each of the characters’ actions and motivations as the movie progresses. The longer that they keep the man they suspect of being Eghbal captive, the more they find their actions and motivations aligning with the individuals and systems that unjustly held them prisoner years prior. In a haunting meditation on human nature and the dissolution of the line between “right” and “wrong,” “Accident” acts as a case study on the corruption of people before the spectator’s eyes.
The film approaches these topics in a chilling portrayal of its protagonists, orchestrated by cinematography steeped in long, still shots that draw the viewer’s attention to facial expressions as indications of the characters’ motivations. Graduate Arts & Sciences student Cristina Torija expressed appreciation for the camera work throughout the film.
“I like how the camera was so still all the time [because it did not let] the characters move,” Torija said. “It’s a very dark comedy, and the tone was very well balanced ... Very dark, but also kind of funny when it needed to be.”
Much of the film is drenched in a sinister red lighting — reminiscent of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie,” another deeply psychological thriller — to accentuate the descent into more disquieting actions. This, combined with the lack of music in almost every scene of the movie, gives a unique weight to the words and expressions of the characters, resulting in a resounding message on vengeance and guilt. This is where the true weight of the title sinks in — although an action may be an accident, accidents nonetheless have consequences.
Throughout its progression, the tone of “Accident” walks a fine line between a tense political drama and a masterfully-crafted dark comedy. In such moments of tonal flux, those in attendance fluctuated between shocked gasps, hesitant laughter and pure silence. This reflects the tension at the heart of the film’s production and release.
Graduate Arts & Sciences student Yingyu Zang placed “Accident” as only the most recent in a lineage of Iranian films that push the boundary of contemporary filmmaking practices with deep, overtly political messaging.
“I like [“Accident”] because a lot of the Iranian movies are shot and produced on a very low scale,” Zang said. “So I think it actually infuses a lot of very special texture to the movie … to exaggerate the theme [they] want to express. They actually really condense the whole societal problem to a few people and let them stand out and represent the social problem.”
In the context of the political turmoil and tension around the globe today, Panahi orchestrates a careful, methodical masterpiece that holds a mirror to the world, emphasizing the necessity for the free expression and creation of art. On a more immediate scale, “It Was Just an Accident” finds a timely audience in Charlottesville, a city itself engrossed in political struggles with its own federal government. However, that is what makes its presence at the Virginia Film Festival all the more important.
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